


Without complexities or pride

by andthestarsthatshine



Category: The Mindy Project
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-13
Updated: 2014-04-13
Packaged: 2018-01-19 01:04:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1449568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/andthestarsthatshine/pseuds/andthestarsthatshine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A silly bit of fluff. Inspired by one of the countdown promo pics and takes place during the finale but doesn't really contain any spoilers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Without complexities or pride

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Sonnet XVII by Pablo Neruda

'Danny. Danny I can't. I can't do this.'

'Min, it's ok. It'll come back.'

'No you don't understand. You don't understand how important this is.'

'Hey, it's ok. I mean you'll look a little lopsided but it's ok.' He threw her one of his signature crooked grins.

She pursed her lips at him not seeing the funny side of this situation. 'Ok, don't.' She raised her hand and held up a finger in front of his face. 'Don't even joke about this ok?'

'Alright, I'm sorry. I'm sorry.'

Mindy sighed. 'Fine. Just do it. Get it over and done with.'

'You sure?'

'YES! Now cut my damn hair before I change my mind!'

'Ok. Alright, don't get riled up. I got you.' Danny moved to grab a pair of scissors.

'Oh God.'

'Are you crying?'

'Yes, I'm crying! Do you have any idea what goes into maintaining my Kardashian locks? Now I'll never meet my Kanye.'

Danny sighed before gently taking a portion of her hair and cutting it off. He quickly moved the hair out of her sight.

'This is all your fault, you know.'

'Uh huh. And why's that?' 

'Well, you were the one who insisted that we should talk.'

'Because it was important.'

'We're talking now.'

'Not just the talking. It's not just- I mean, I had things I wanted to say but- that's not- I wanted to do something big...like a- like a-'

'A grand gesture?' Mindy looked up at him with wide eyes.

'I- yeah,' he said softly.

'Oh.'

'Yeah, well, I guess things didn't go as planned. But you can't blame me for what happened to your hair, ok?'

'Fine. I guess it wasn't entirely your fault. It was partly that man's fault. I mean, who comes up to someone and sticks gum in their hair?! Ugh.'

'Hey! I defended you! That guy was completely to blame!'

'Alright. Ok. Chill. We don't want your blood pressure skyrocketing. That's not healthy at your age.'

Instead of responding in the way she was expecting, Danny laughed heartily. 'God I've missed you.'

'Danny, that was all because of a choice you made.' Suddenly the atmosphere shifted and he set his face into a neutral expression. He knew now what a mistake it was to let her go, to run scared.

'Yeah. I know. I'm sorry. I just- I got scared, I guess and- and I just didn't feel like I was good enough and-'

'What? Danny, that's ridiculous.'

'I don't know, Min. I just- I just- I feel like I'm not...enough. And you deserve someone so much better.'

'What are you talking about?'

'Min, you deserve to be happy.'

'And why can't I be happy with you?'

'Because I always fuck things up. I did with my dad. I did with Christina. I did with every other relationship I've been in and-'

Mindy moved to place a hand over his. 'Hey. Hey, don't say that. All that stuff with your dad, with Christina - that wasn't your fault. That could never be your fault.'

'I just feel like they left because I am who I am and...I was scared you'll do the same once you realised what it was like to be with me.'

'Oh Danny, you're such an idiot. I couldn't leave you even if I wanted to.'

Danny looked up at her, surprise etched into his features. 'How can you be so sure?'

'Because I've been trying to do just that and I just can't. I always end up finding my way back to you.'

'That doesn't mean you should have to settle for me, Min.'

'Who says it's settling? God, Danny, I love you. Why couldn't you just see that?'

'You- you- what?'

'I love you, Danny Castellano. Always have, always will.'

'Min, that's a line from Bridget Jones.'

'Well, look who's a rom-com expert now!' Mindy poked him in the chest gently.

Danny flushed a deep shade of crimson at his accidental admission. 'Nah, I'm not an  _expert_! I just- it was just- it reminds me of you.'

'The book or the movie?'

'Both. But the book especially.' He smiled down at her softly.

Mindy took a small step closer, pressing her palms flat against his chest. 'What was the big romantic gesture you had planned?'

'Oh, um, well, it involved a certain building...and telling you how ardently I admire and love you.'

Mindy's eyes widened. 'And the rom com references just keep coming from you. If I didn't just have half my hair chopped off, I would demand you take me there right now and do exactly what you were planning on doing.'

'I would gladly still take you there.'

'No, not like this. It'll just be embarrassing. For both of us.' Mindy looked down at her feet as she started playing with a strand of hair.

Danny lightly placed a hand on her cheek and gently grazed it with his thumb, forcing her to look up at him. 'Hey. You could never embarrass me. Ever. I need you to know that.'

She saw the sincerity clearly written all over his face. She placed her hands on his arms to steady herself as she leaned up to plant a tender kiss on his lips, deepening the kiss when she felt him sigh into her mouth. She missed those lips for the heavenly way they moved against hers, the rhythm of a dancer, they easily fell into fluid movements that she knew she could never recreate with anyone else. She missed those lips for the words that often tumbled out of them, stunned by the way he could string together such simple words into a beautiful sentence sure to make her melt before him. She missed those lips for the way one corner tilted up into a crooked smile, the kind of smile that changed meaning with every nuanced look reflected in his eyes, eyes that forever gazed at her in a wealth of gentle ways. 

She wasn't letting him go this time and with the way his hands pressed urgently into her waist and moved back up her body to caress her face, making sure she was real, she knew he wouldn't let her go again either.


End file.
